One evening in February 1885, at the clubhouse of the Montreal Snow Shoe Club, tucked away on the back side of Mount Royal, Mark Twain, George Washington Cable and their manager, James B. Pond, had the time of their lives.

Most meteorologists agreed with the folkloric forecasts made this week by Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil and Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam, who saw their shadows on Groundhog Day, suggesting we're in for another six weeks of winter.